Most conventional sterilizers are ineffective, dangerous to handle and/or difficult to use.
At present, the available chemical sterilizers include ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and peracids.
Ethylene oxide sterilizer is a toxic gas and requires that protective equipment and devices be used. Formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde are toxic liquids and require extreme care, prolonged exposure, (3 hours or longer) and before use, surfaces must be meticulously cleaned. Additionally, the liquid sterilizers suffer from one or more deficiencies, such as skin irritation, offensive or irritating odor and inhalation toxicity; deleterious effect on fabrics and painted surfaces and waste disposal systems (or environmental toxicity); lack of stability; and low level of efficacy. Peracids are highly toxic, corrosive and unstable.
The methods of the present invention are highly effective and include using a composition that is capable of inactivating (killing) micro-organisms including bacterial and fungal spores at room temperature such that the initial count is reduced to zero in EPA-specified tests (AOAC Manual for Sporicidal Testing, Chapter 14) involving Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium sporogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphyloccus aureus.
In use, the composition of the present invention is employed as a cleaner, sanitizer, disinfectant, and chemical sterilizer. The numerous advantages of this invention with respect to its methods of use and applications are summarized below.